Fast neutron nuclear reactor

Patent · Tue Sep 19 04:00:00 EDT 1978

OSTI ID:6560224

Jogand, P

A fast neutron nuclear reactor is described comprising on the inside a main vessel having a vertical axis suspended by its upper open part on a thick protective slab which seals a cavity surrounding said vessel, a volume of a liquid cooling metal and also positioned within said main vessel an inner vessel having a cylindrical wall containing the core of the reactor submerged beneath the liquid metal level, the intermediate space between the main vessel and the inner vessel having heat exchangers and pumps which pass below the level of the liquid metal, wherein the upper end of the inner vessel is covered by an inverted annular bell cap and is placed under the internal pressure of a neutral gas in order to prevent in normal operation direct communication between the hot liquid metal within the inner vessel and the cold liquid metal in the annular space between the main vessel and the inner vessel, said bell cap covering an auxiliary exchanger which externally surrounds the inner vessel in such a way that if there is a fault in the reactor and after reducing the neutral gas pressure beneath the bell cap as a result of natural convection a circulation of the liquid metal takes place beneath the bell cap of the inner vessel towards the annular space and passes through the auxiliary exchanger.

• Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
• Patent Number(s): US 4115192
• OSTI ID: 6560224
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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